Existing comment:
41 cent Star Wars souvenir stamp corner with die-cut Darth Vader. United States, 2007.
32 cent Marilyn Monroe -- A perforated star appears at the intersections of the horizontal and vertical perforation lines. The star disappears when the stamps are torn apart. Untied States, 1995.
The United States issued its first stamps in 1847, but it wasn't until 1857 that US stamps were perforated. Postal clerks or patrons would separate stamps with a scissors, which was time-consuming and imprecise. Occasionally, lacking a scissors or knife, people would use the crease-and-tear technique. The ingenious rotary perforated imported from Great Britain enabled officials to keep up with increased demand for stamps.
Collectors pay attention to the particulars of perforations: the size of the holes, the distance between them, and the format of use (sheet, coil, booklet).
Perforating with Style:
For almost 100 years, stamps were perforated with perpendicular lines to create rectangular stamps. Triangles were next, produced by perforating a square stamp on the diagonal. Sophisticated die-cutting technology can now create circles, hearts, and novelty shapes. Several US stamps have also had a tiny heart where the perforation lines intersect.
Arranging such stamps on an envelop can be an opportunity for creativity. |